Shoulder strap



June 26, 1928. Re. 17,011

A. FRIDOLPH SHOULDER STRAP Original Filed July 21, 1924 INVENTOR,

flnnef/e f770040/7,

ATTORNEY.

Reissued June 26, 1928..

UNIT-ED s 'r.;1vrus "PAr'ENr OFFICE.

ANNETTE EEIDOEPH, or NEW YORK, N. YQASSIGNOR To A. is; AlsPEcIAL'riEscomv rANY, me, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEwYORK...

sHoULnEn sinner.

r )I l i Original No.-1,544,386. dated June 30, 1925, filed July 21,1324, Serial No. 727,235. Application for reissue filed April 27, 1927.Serial No. 187.0%.

This invention relates to undergarments and particularly toundergarments which are supported by shoulder straps. The term undergarments is used to designateany garment held up by shoulder straps.

lhe shoulder straps on garments such as' brassieres, costume slips,athletic waists, corselets and the like become soiled more quickly thanthe-rest of the garment. It is almost impossible .to launder thegarments especially the corselet and'costume slips as often as isnecessary to keep the shoulder straps clean.

The shoulder straps on any undergarment usually wear out or become fadedbefore the rest of the garment is worn out. Also it is often desirableto' wear shoulder straps conforming to the color of the outer garments.

Therefore I have provided 'a removable shoulder strap which may beinterchange,- ably connected to the undergarments thus enahling thewearer to provide shoulder straps of any desired color and to.removethem quickly and easily for the purpose of laundering or to replace themby new ones.

A detachable shoulder strap should becapable of being attached to andremoved from the garment without the necessity of employing buttons,hooks and eyes or the like which are objectionable for many reasons,chiefest of which is that buttons are uncomfortable, unsightly and areeasily torn from the dainty fabric inthe laundry. Hooks'and eyes rustand stain the fabrioso I have provided a flexible shoulder strap with atransversely stiifened end adapted to pass through an opening in the"garment and to lie crosswise of the opening either in the garment orinthe shoulderstraip so that a connection will be made. The stifl'enedend may be detached from the garment proper so that the shoulder strapcan be easily removed to permit substitution of another strap or for thepurpose of laundering and the like.

The invention will be more thoroughly of the reverse side of the garmentshowing the shoulder strap applied, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view ofta modified form. v

The undergarment 1 is provided with detachable shoulder straps 2 and 3.The garment may be provided with four openings, or eyelets 4. These maybe made in any way, the convenient form being to make the opening andbind the edge with button hole stitching. While only two of the eyeletsor openings 4' are shown, it is obvious that similar openings will be atthe back of the garment.

The shoulder straps 2 and 3 are each made to provide the stiffened ends.The ends are stifined transversely preferably by introducing a thinnon-corrodible insert 8 so that when the insert is stitched in place,the end of the shoulder strap will be stifl' enough to resist bending.

.The inserts may" consist of bone orother suitable material havingdiameters less than the openings 4 so that the ends of the shoulderstraps can be passed through the openings 4. The stifi'enedportionscanthen be turned so that they liecrosswise of the openings 4 so that theshoulder strap will be securely attached. The lengths of the re-enforcedportions are at all times greater than the diameters of the openings 4.The shoulder straps can be readily detached from the body of theundergarment by turning the thickened portions so that they may heslipped through the-openings 4.

Different colored shoulder straps may be interchanged from time to. timeto suit conditions and it will be apparent that the fastening meanscontains no material which will be objectionable to the body of theperson wearing the garment or. which will be unsatisfactory or liable torust or corrode. In Figure 4 I have shown a modified form in which thereis. a'loop 9 fastened to the garment. The shoulder strap 10 conforms tothe shoulder straps 2 and 3 except that it 's provided with an eyelet oropening 11- ihrough which the stifiened portion 12 may pass, the loopformed by the connection being covered by a trimming such as a ro-,

sette 13 and a streamer 14. I prefer the con,- struction shown inFigures 1, 2 and 3, however.

In my invention t'wo members are pro vided, and they are constructed tomutually adapt them' for co-operation onewith the lartlcle of personalwear, Whereas the other member is a flexible strap or tape, the width ofwhich usually exceeds the size of the aforesaid opening, and the end ofwhich strap or tape is stiffened to constitute one part of saidseparable connection, which part is unitary with the flexible member.The flexible member is elongated to perform the functions of a strapadapted to be worn over the shoulder of the wearer, or to be otherwiseworn by the wearer, and this flexible member performs certain functionsinherent in the separable connection constituting an unitary part ofthis invention. One of such functions is the capacity of the flexiblemember to crease orfold lengthwise upon itself adjacent to the stiffenedend in the operation of threading the flexible member. through theopening in the companion member, and of remaining in suchcreased orfolded condition While present within said opening. This is desirable ina device for personal wear for various reasons, amongwhich are that theflexible member can be made of relatively thin fibrous materialcorresponding in appearance and color to, and the general utility of,the garment or article with which the flexible member or shoulder strapis associated. Again, the flexible member is quite wide as compared withthe opening in the other member or garment, and usually said flexiblemember is desirably in a flat condition for comfort in wearing the same.The association of a relatively wide fiat flexible member with a memberhaving an aperture small in size; makes it a desirable factor to utilizea flexible member in the form of a tape or ribbon composed of fibrousmaterial possessing the capacity of accommodating itself to therelatively small opening in the companion member. Furthermore, thesecurity of the separable "connection requires that theopening shall besmaller than the length of the stiffened member co-operable with saidopening, in order that the two parts may cd-operate in precludingaccidental separation of the said two parts. These functions areattained in my improvement requiring an aperture of I fibrous materialwhich threading the flexible member through the less size than thelength of the stiffened end,

and by the employment of a flexible member composed of tape, ribbon oranalogous in the operation of opening isfree to fold or cross lengthwiseand at apoint adjacent to the engagement of said flexible member withthe edges of the opening, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3, and asshown, also, in Figure 4.

In an article of personal wear, it is desirable to overcome the contactof metal with the flesh of the wearer, in order. to avoid discolorationofthe flesh, and to preclude oxidation of any metal which may be used,

and, again, the parts of the separable connection are desirably smalland compact to avoid a bulky or cumbrous appearance, and,

furthermore. the parts should besusceptible of washing in a laundrywithout impairing the efficiency of the separable connection. As hereindisclosed an opening small in size is formed in the garment. and theedge of the opening is bound by stitching. The end of the flexiblemember is doubled or folded upon itself at QT, 7 and stitched, andwithin the doubled edge is positioned the stifl'ening member 8, thelatter being composed of "material suitable for the purpose, such as athin non-corrodible insert. 1 member is encased within the folded andstitched end, and is thus inseparablv at Such stiflening tached thereto,and is protected by the fibrous material of the flexible member. Thefolding of the fibrous material, and the-em ployment of a smallelongated stifi'ener, produces a part which is of compact and relativelysmall size well adapted to function as a member of the separableconnection, and to be easily threaded through 'the small aperture, andto so co-operate with said aperture as to preclude accidental separa-vtion of the flexible member in the normal service of the garment. Saidstifi'ening member extends crosswise of' the flexible member,transversely to the length thereof,

and is substantially encased within the ma- 1 terial composing saidflexible member, and

-in the operation ofthreading the flexible member within the aperturedmember or part, said folded or doubled end of. the

flexible member containing the stiffening member is turned to a positionwherein the stiffened end enters the aperture and is thus pressed ordrawn through said aperture, during which operation the flexible matethestiffened end, as a result of which the stiffened end after passingthrough the aperture adjusts itself to a position crosswise of theaperture, whereas that part of the flexible material adjacent to theaperture vrial folds or creases lengthwise adjacent to w remains in thecreased or folded condition,

all as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings. To uncouple orseparate the-flex ible member from the apertured member, the st-ifi'enedend should be turned relatively to the length of the fibrous material ofsaid flexible member, and the stifl'ened end may then be pressed ordrawn through the aperture to withdraw the flexible member from theapertured member; but it is to be noted that the relative sizes of theaperture and the stiffened end and the materials themselves are suchthat the acts of attaching and detaching the flexible member areperformed by hand with ease and facility, and

at the same time there is only a remote possibility of accidentalseparation of the flexible member in the normal service of the article.A

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, an undergarment having a plurality of holes therein,detachable shoulder straps for the under-garment, each shoulder strapcomprising a flexible elongated member, and a rigid stifl'ening member,the ends of said flexible member having folded back portions securedtogether about and embracing said stiffening member, said stiffened endsbeing insertable in the openings and lying across the openings when theshoulder straps are in place, the length of each stifl'ened portionbeing appreciably in excess of the diameter of the opening.

2. In an article of personal wear, an apertured part or. member, and aflexible member provided with a doubled end portion and with asubstantially. rigid stiffening member substantially encased therein,the length of said stiffening member exceeding the diameter of theaperture in said apertured part or member, said doubled and stifienedend portion of the flexible memher being insertable into andwithdrawable from said aperture and said flexible member being composedof textile material having the capacity for creasing-0r folding by contact with the edge of said aperture upon insertion therein.

3. In an article of personal wear, an apertured part or member, aflexible member composed of textile material with a folded end portion,and a. rigid stiffening member encased within said folded end portionand wholly concealed thereby, the length of said stifi'ening memberexceeding the diameter of the aperture of said apertured part or memher.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature this 26th day of April,1927.

ANNETTE FRIDOLPH.

